Earth Friends & Reciprocity (You Belong Here)
This weekend I escaped the heat and smoke of the city by heading to my favorite place on Earth—the Colorado Rocky Mountains in the traditional lands of the Ute and Cheyenne. My very generous extended family has a place up here, so I've been blessed with spending a lot of time wandering these trails and communing with mountains over the past few years.
This year, as we drove into the mountains, I felt my eyes begin to tear up. My friends were welcoming me home.
My friends. The mountains here are my friends. I feel their spirits and their love and our mutual delight in each other just as I would a human friend. The same with the trees, rocks, flowers, and animals. And with the unseen nature beings, ancestors, and land spirits that enliven and guard this place.
At this stage in our relationship, we recognize each other. I feel their warm welcome. I am overcome with heart-bursting love. And this is why teary waters stream down my cheeks.
Last night, I took a walk through the aspen after dinner. Sun was setting and the crepuscular animals were stirring. With every step, I felt the love of the earth rise to greet me. Any hint of fear gently left my being, replaced with a sense of belonging. Of reuniting with my kin.
I began to whisper, "I love you. I love you. I love you."
Reciprocity is important with the natural world. Humans aren't meant to take and take. Or even to only "receive". We are beloveds of the land, giving and receiving in the dance of life. We belong on this earth.
Our voices are powerful ways to offer reciprocity. Sing to the land. Speak your awe and your gratitude. Let the vibration of your heart dance upon subtle waves that meet with the spirits of the trees.
Near the end of my evening walk last night, after chanting my love to spirits here out loud, I rounded a corner only to find two giant moose enjoying their dinner of aspen leaves. I must have sat watching them for 20 minutes in a timeless state of joy. I find that even the smallest act of reciprocity, if infused with the purest of love, comes back tenfold. As I write this, a beautiful fox trotted out to hunt only 20 feet in front of me.
At this point, you might wonder, "But do we really belong here? We've destroyed this planet. And let's face it, the rise in fascism is revealing the stupidity of the populace."
It's true. But it's not humanity that nearly destroyed and wrought our earth with violence. It's the patriarchy. And we are dismantling it. Don't give up. Our Earth and her children still need us.
When those of us who deeply love the earth focus on all the harm humans have done, we begin to feel like we don't belong here. Think about this—we feel like we don't belong on the very planet that sustains us. Our sense of any home, of any rootedness or resting place, becomes fundamentally damaged.
In my recent post on food sovereignty, I discussed one way that our root chakras are damaged by being disconnected from the Earth. Well, this is another one. When we lack a fundamental sense of belonging on this planet, our root chakras are unable to fully function. We carry a soul-level feeling of unworthiness that makes it next to impossible to actually enter into reciprocity with the Earth.
We live in times so troublesome it's tempting to give into anger, fear, and apocalyptic thoughts. I'm certainly not immune. Yet the healing that comes from love, unconditional and divine love that cannot be broken no matter difficult our challenges, is what is called for now more than ever.
What words are you speaking? Can you be authentically angry and terrified and grieving, as well as authentically rooted and hopeful and grateful? Can you speak the truth with a vibration of love? Take the first steps of reciprocity with your voice. Begin shifting the vibrations that create our reality with your intentions and your words.
This is a gentle yet powerful step into reciprocity. And of course, I encourage more radical ones as well (like for real changing your entire lifestyle, but that's another post . . . )
We are not alone. The Earth is still our ally. And she needs our love.
Sit Spot Ritual
From Thoreau's observations of the natural cycles at Walden Pond to Monet's appreciation for the seasonal shifts in his own gardens, humans throughout the ages have deepened their relationship with the natural world through Sit Spot rituals.
A Sit Spot ritual is a wonderful way to cultivate your own relationship with the natural world and all the potential "friends" who reside there. To start a Sit Spot ritual, simply find a place in nature that you can visit regularly. This can be somewhere in the woods or outside the city, a park, or even your own backyard. Then visit this place as regularly as you can—weekly or monthly, preferably.
A few ideas for when you visit your sit spot:
Notice the seasonal and subtle changes each time—Who's blooming? What creatures are visiting? Who comes and goes throughout the seasons, and who stays?
Choose a constant nature spirit to connect with each time—a tree, a rock, a stream
Ask to feel the presence of the other spirits of the land—ancestors, fae, guardians
Learn a bit about the land you're on—Who were the original people of the land? How did it form? What brought you to this place?
Get grounded—Sink your energetic roots into the earth to strengthen your root chakra and sense of belonging.
Bring your journal or sketchbook—You can alternate between tracking what you see and feel, and allowing spirit to communicate you through automatic writing or drawing.
Use your voice—Speak to the spirits of the land and share all that's in your heart. Sing your gratitude for your relationship with them.
Bring offerings—seed crystals, feathers, a hair, flowers, mandala creation, healing rituals
Receive, as well—The land may offer you an extraction or cleansing, a blessing, messages, or even physical gifts.
You do belong here. You are important. Let the land show you how much your presence is needed.